Reusable, Autoclaveable Closure Device for a Flexible Bag

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device for closing the open end(s) of a flexible bag. The closure device comprises two primary structural components: an elongated clamp member and an elongated rod member. The open end of the flexible bag is folded around the elongated rod member. The combination of the rod member with the bag end folded over the rod member is then installed into the interior space of the clamp member.

The present application claims the benefit of prior filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/882,458, filed 28 Dec. 2006, to which the present application is a regular U.S. national application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of closures for flexible bags. More specifically, the present invention relates to sterilizable and reusable closures having elongated clamping elements for sealing flexible bags.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sealable flexible bags are known in the field. More specifically, sterilizable and reusable closures having elongated clamping elements for sealing flexible bags are known.

Various methods and apparatus have been developed through the years for the cultivation of mushrooms. Most commonly, bottles and bags are used for cultivating mushrooms. Bag cultivation, however, has several advantages over bottle cultivation. It is an economic means of production, as well as a means for producing practically any variety of mushroom. Bag cultivation also allows for flexibility in crop production.

A benefit of the present bag clamp is that it can seal the opening of a bag, and eliminate the need for a flexible bag sealing machine with its problems. In particular, the present bag clamp is a reusable, simple design, which allows both the bag and the clamp to be easily reused and autoclaved. In the mushroom cultivation field, this combination can allow easy verification of the internal CO₂ content of a bag without having to cut the bag open.

In view of these considerations, it would be beneficial in the field to have a flexible bag closure device that allows for multiple sterilizations without substantially losing its intended resilience properties, and also allow easy verification of the internal CO₂ content of a bag without having to cut the bag open.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device having the utility of certain typical prior bag closure devices, but without certain of their disadvantages. More specifically, the present flexible bag closure device is intended to avoid the disadvantage of one time use by using materials which are capable of multiple sterilizations without substantially losing its intended resilience properties.

The present invention is a sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device for closing an open end of a flexible bag. The closure device comprises two primary structural components: an elongated clamp member and an elongated rod member. In use, the open end of the flexible bag is folded around the elongated rod member. The combination of the rod member with the bag end folded over the rod member is then installed into the interior space of the clamp member.

The present bag closure device provides a resilient, reusable closure device intended for use in applications wherein the bag with the closure device attached (to close and seal the open end of the bag) are subjected to a sterilization process. Therefore, it is an important feature of the present device that it is made of materials capable of being subjected to multiple sterilizations without substantially losing its intended resilience properties. Additionally, the closure device is easily removable to allow the bag to be reopened in its original condition (i.e., without the bag being damaged, destroyed, or otherwise physically altered by the closure and reopening process).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are end views of the present sterilizable, reusable closure for use on a flexible bag showing the relationship of the rod member, bag wall and clamp member before (A) and after (B) attaching the closure device to the open end of the bag.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the clamp member and rod member of the present sterilizable, reusable closure.

FIG. 2B is an end view of the present sterilizable, reusable closure illustrating the free space within the interior space of the clamp member with the rod member received therein.

FIG. 3 is a picture of the present sterilizable, reusable closure in use to close the open end of a flexible bag.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a perspective views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing the clamp member and the rod member joined by a pivotable linkage.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are plan views of alternative embodiments of the rod member of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device for closing an open end of a flexible bag. The present bag closure device is intended for use in applications wherein the bag with the closure device attached (to close and seal the open end of the bag) are subjected to a sterilization process. An example of such application is the autoclaving of closed flexible plastic bags and their contents in the mushroom growing industry. Therefore, it is an important feature of the present device that it is made of materials capable of being subjected to multiple sterilizations without substantially losing its intended resilience properties. It is also an object of the present invention that the closure device be easily removable to allow the bag to be reopened in its original condition (i.e., without the bag being damaged, destroyed, or otherwise physically altered by the closure and reopening process.

A benefit of the present bag clamp is that it can seal the opening of a bag, and eliminate the need for a flexible bag sealing machine with its problems. In particular, the present bag clamp is a reusable, simple design, which allows both the bag and the clamp to be easily reused and autoclaved. In the mushroom cultivation field, this combination can allow easy verification of internal CO₂ content of bag without having to cut the bag open.

Referring now to the drawings, the details of preferred embodiments of the present invention are graphically and schematically illustrated. Like elements in the drawings are represented by like numbers, and any similar elements are represented by like numbers with a different lower case letter suffix.

As noted above, the present invention is an autoclave sterilizable and reusable flexible bag closure device 10 for closing the open end(s) 22 of a flexible bag 20. See FIGS. 1A and 1B. The present closure device 10 comprises two primary structural components: an elongated clamp member 12, and an elongated rod member 16. In use, the open end 22 of a flexible bag 20 is folded around the elongated rod member 16. The combination of the rod member 26 with the open end 22 folded over it is then installed into the interior space 30 of the clamp member 12.

The closure device is intended for use with a flexible bag in an autoclaving process, where the sterile integrity of the content of the bag is important. Therefore, the clamp member 12 has a clamp length Lc substantially at least as long as the width W of the open end of the bag 20 to be closed. This width W of the open end 22 of the bag 20 is taken with the open end 22 flat. The clamp member 12 has a “C”-shaped structural cross-section (see FIG. 1) defining an interior space 30. The interior space 30 has a cross-section with an interior space inside diameter ID. Also as seen in the cross-section, the clamp member has arms or jaws 34 that are resilient, i.e., are flexible and have memory. The arms 34 frame the side-opening 38 along the length Lc of the clamp member 12, see FIG. 2A. The clamp member 12 also has at least one end-opening 40.

The “C”-shaped cross-section of the clamp member 12 has an arc A of greater than 180 degrees and less than about 280 degrees. The degree of arc A is sufficient to enable the clamp member 12 to closely receive and compressively hold the rod member 16 when the rod member 16 has a section of the flexible bag 20 disposed around it, and is received within the clamp interior space 30.

The rod member 16 has a rod length Lr that, substantially, is at least as long as the width W of the open end 22 of the bag 20 to be closed. Also, the rod member 16 has an outside rod diameter OD smaller than the ID of the clamp interior space 30. The rod member 16 is loosely receivable into the interior space 30 of the clamp member 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2B. The rod member 16 can be hollow (i.e., tubular) as in FIG. 1A, or solid as in FIG. 1B.

When the rod member 16 is received into the interior space 30 of the clamp member 12, there is a free space distance Df between the outside rod surface 50 and the inside surface 32 of the clamp interior space 30. The free space distance Df represents the average distance between the rod OD and the clamp ID when the rod member 16 is received in the center of the interior space 30. The free space distance Df is disposed to allow the interior surface 32 of the arms 34 to closely (i.e., compressively) receive at least one thickness T of the flexible bag 20 between the interior surface 32 of the clamp interior space 30 and the external surface 50 of the rod member 16.

The rod member 16 may be inserted into the clamp member 12 by inserting the rod member 16 with the open end 22 wrapped around it into the clamp member 12 through the clamp gap 38 disposed along the length Lc of the clamp member 12. For example see FIGS. 1A and 1B. Alternatively, the rod member 16 may be inserted into the clamp member 12 by inserting the rod member 16 with the open end 22 wrapped around it from the open clamp end 40 of the clamp member 12 as exemplified in FIG. 2A. That is, the rod member 16, with the open end 22 wrapped around or folded over it (not shown), can be inserted into the clamp member 12 from an open end 40 of the clamp member 12.

In either case, the resilient arms 34 of the clamp member 12 compress against the section of the bag 20 received in the interior space 30 of the clamp member 12 as illustrated by the small arrows in FIG. 1B. Compression of the material of the bag 20 closes and seals the open end 22 of the bag 20 without damaging or substantially altering the original condition of the bag 20. Similarly, removal of the closure device 10 does not damage or substantially alter the condition of the bag 20.

Additionally, in an alternative preferred embodiment, one or both arms 34 of the clamp member 12 can have a guide finger 42 extending from it to form a lip along the length of the gap 38. See FIG. 1B and FIGS. 2A and 2B. The guide finger 42 facilitates inserting the rod member 16 wrapped with a thickness T of the bag 20 through the gap 38 and into the interior space 30 of the clamp member 30.

In an alternative embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the present sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device 10 further comprises a pivotable linkage member 60 connecting a clamp open end 40 of a clamp member 12 a to a rod member end 54 of the rod member 16 a. The linkage 60 allows the primary components of the device, the clamp member 12 a and the rod member 16 a, to be kept together when not in use to close a bag opening, and thereby reduce the risk of losing one of the components of the device 10. In FIG. 4A, the linkage member 60 is an easily flexible thin section of the same material as the clamp member 12 a and the rod member 16 a, and integrally molded to them. In FIG. 4B, the linkage member 60 a is a link-ring connecting the clamp member 12 b and the rod member 16 b as shown.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are examples of alternative embodiments of the rod member 16 of the present bag closure device 10. These figures illustrate other embodiments of the rod useful in practicing the present closure device 10. A slot 56 can be included in the rod 16 through which the open end 22 may be passed to facilitate holding the open end 22 of the bag 20 closed while installing the closure device 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 5A, the rod member 16 c can be adapted to have a cutout 58 to facilitate folding or wrapping the open end 22 around the rod 16 c, for example when it is desired to have more than one thickness T of the open end 22 rolled around the rod 16 c and received into the free space Df. FIG. 5 illustrates an open slotted rod 16 d, which can be practiced in the present device 10 to facilitate inserting the open end 22 into the open slot 56 a in the rod 16 d.

While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of one or another preferred embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible, which would be obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, and not just by the embodiments. 

1. An autoclavable, reusable flexible bag closure device for closing an open end of a flexible bag, the device comprising: an elongated clamp member having a clamp length substantially at least as long as the width of the open end of the bag to be closed, and having a “C”-shaped structural cross-section defining an interior space cross-section with a clamp ID, and having jaws that are flexible and have memory, the jaws framing a clamp opening; and a rod member having a rod length substantially at least as long as the width of the open end of the bag to be closed, and a rod OD smaller than the clamp ID, the rod member loosely receivable in the interior space of the clamp member.
 2. The sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device of claim 1, further comprising a linkage member connecting and a clamp member end to a rod member end.
 3. The sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device of claim 1, further comprising a free space distance between the rod OD and the clamp ID, the free space disposed to closely receive at least one thickness of the flexible bag between an interior surface of the interior space of the clamp member and an external surface of the rod member.
 4. The sterilizable, reusable flexible bag closure device of claim 1, wherein the “C”-shaped cross-section having an arc of greater than 180 degrees and less than 280 degrees, the arc sufficient to enable the clamp member to closely receive and hold the rod member, with a thickness of the flexible bag disposed around it, within the interior space of the clamp member. 